US renewable power developer Invenergy has started commercial operations at its 200MW Calhoun Solar Energy Center, its first operational project in the US state of Michigan.
The company completed financing for the project in September 2021, and initially expected to finish construction work by the end of 2022. While this has been delayed somewhat, the project remains a significant addition to Invenergy’s renewable portfolio in the state, adding to a 708MW wind portfolio currently in operation.
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“We are proud to build on Invenergy’s successful track record of project development in Michigan with the Calhoun Solar Energy Center and are grateful to work alongside this community,” said Invenergy vice president of development Erin Kricher. “Calhoun Solar is another Invenergy project that will produce clean, reliable electricity, while investing in the clean energy economy right here in Michigan.”
Invenergy also signed a number of power purchase agreements with local electricity utilities to sell power produced at the Calhoun project. Consumers Energy will offtake 140MW from the project, the Michigan Public Power Agency will buy 50MW and the Lansing Board of Water and Light will acquire 10MW, immediately integrating the electricity produced by the new project into the Michigan grid.
The news follows Blackstone Infrastructure’s US$1 billion investment into Invenergy earlier this year, bringing the asset managers total investment in the company up to US$4 billion, as Invenergy looks to expand its solar operations across the US.
The company’s Hardin II and Hardin III solar projects, which boast a combined capacity of 470MW, are under construction in the US state of Ohio, and Invenergy expects its 280MW Fountain Point solar project to begin operations next year. In total, the company’s 14 solar projects under development in the US have a combined capacity of just over 3TW, and will look to take advantage of a growing workforce in the US solar sector.